CONFLICT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN SELECTED BASIC SCHOOLS

IN THE ASHANTI REGION

By

Ellen Toku, (BA. Industrial Art)

A thesis submitted to the Department of Managerial Science, Kwame Nkrumah

University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (HRM OPTION)

School of Business, KNUST

College of Arts and Social Sciences

August, 2014

i
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work towards the Master of Business

Administration (Human Resource Management Option) Degree and that, to the best of my

knowledge, it contains no material previously published by another person nor material which

has been accepted for the award of any other degree of the University, except where due

acknowledgement has been made in the text.

…………………………….. …………….………..…… …………………

Ellen Toku Signature Date

(PG 7645412)

Certified by:

………………..…………. ………….….……………. …………….…..

Dr. Mrs. Florence Ellis Signature Date

Certified by:

……………….…………. ………….……………… ……………..….

Mr. J. K. Tuckson Signature Date

ii
 ABSTRACT

Conflict has always been an inseparable part of all organizations due to the fact that there are

differences in the behavior of the various workers within the organization. However, conflict

in spite of its negative effects has its own positive outcomes. This has therefore given rise to

the theory of conflict management which ensures that the positive aspect of conflict is

maximized while the negative aspect is minimized as much as possible. This study therefore

looked at the concept of conflict management in institutional growth. The main objective of

the study was to explore conflict management in basic schools in Ashanti Region of Ghana.

The study reviewed literature on the concept of conflict management in organizations. Face-

to-face interviews were used to solicit responses from teachers alongside participant

observation. The sampling technique used by the researcher which aided in the collection of

data was the purposive sampling technique. Content analysis was used in analyzing the data

collected. The study discovered that the integrating style of managing conflict was the most

widely used conflict management style in basic schools in the region. This style placed more

emphasis on high concern for self and others as well. It was also discovered that of all the

challenges encountered in managing conflicts, lack of cooperation on the part of the two

parties was considered the most striking challenge. Furthermore, it was also discovered that

conflict management played a major role in strengthening the bond between management and

workers. The study concluded on the note that the most influencing factor in managing

conflict in organizations was organizational culture. The study also recommended that

organizations should organize training and educational programs for their members to enable

them accommodate and deal effectively with the issue of individual differences in the

workplace.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My profound gratitude goes to the Almighty God who gave me the knowledge, strength and

ability to make this research a reality. I wish to acknowledge the immerse help given to me by

numerous lecturers in this institution whose contributions shaped this study. I owe a special

debt of gratitude to Dr. Mrs. Ellis, a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science

and Technology for her constructive and useful supervision throughout the research period.

iv
 DEDICATION

This research work is dedicated to my lovely husband, Mr. James Cosmos Appiah and my

parents for their help and prayers. And also to all my friends who supported me in diverse

ways. May the good Lord richly bless them all.

v
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page………………………………………………………………………………………i

Declaration………………………………………………………………….............................ii

Abstract ................................................................................................................................... iii

Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................. iv

Dedication .................................................................................................................................v

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... vi

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................x

List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... xi

List of Abbreviations …………………………………………………………… ………….xii

CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1

1.0 Background of the Study ..................................................................................................1

1.1 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................3

1.2Objectives of the Research ................................................................................................4

1.2.1 General Objective ......................................................................................................4

1.2.2 Specific Objectives .....................................................................................................4

1.3 Research Questions ..........................................................................................................5

1.4 Significance of the Study .................................................................................................5

1.5 Methodology ....................................................................................................................6

1.6 Scope of the Study ............................................................................................................7

1.7Limitations of the Study ....................................................................................................7

1.8 Organization of the Study.................................................................................................8

vi
CHAPTER TWO .....................................................................................................................9

LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................................9

2.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................9

2.1 Conflict and its Management as an Organizational Phenomenon ....................................9

2.1.1 Definitions of Conflict Management ........................................................................12

2.2 Conflict Management Styles ..........................................................................................13

2.2.1 Integrating Style.......................................................................................................18

2.2.2 Obliging Style ..........................................................................................................18

2.2.3 Dominating Style......................................................................................................19

2.2.4 Avoiding Style ..........................................................................................................20

2.2.5 Compromising Style .................................................................................................20

2.3 Factors that influence Conflict Management .................................................................23

2.3.1Leadership and Management Style ...........................................................................23

2.3.2Organizational Culture .............................................................................................24

2.3.3Organizational Structure ..........................................................................................25

2.3.4Organizational Policies and Procedures ..................................................................26

2.3.5Time and Venue ........................................................................................................26

2.4 Challenges in Managing Conflicts .................................................................................27

2.5 Roles of Conflict Management in Institutional Growth .................................................29

2.6 Conceptual Framework of the Study ..............................................................................32

2.7 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................33

CHAPTER THREE ...............................................................................................................35

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE ......................35

3.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................35

vii
 3.1.0 Research Methodology ............................................................................................35

3.1.1 Research Design ......................................................................................................36

3.1.2 Research Strategy ....................................................................................................37

3.2 Sources of Data ..............................................................................................................38

3.2.1 Primary Data ...........................................................................................................38

3.2.2 Secondary Data........................................................................................................38

3.3 Population .......................................................................................................................39

3.4 Sampling Techniques .....................................................................................................40

3.5 Data Collection ...............................................................................................................40

3.5.1 Interview ..................................................................................................................41

3.5.2 Interview Guide........................................................................................................41

3.5.3 Interviewees .............................................................................................................42

3.5.4 Observation ..............................................................................................................42

3.6 Data Analysis Techniques ..............................................................................................42

3.7 Organizational Profile ....................................................................................................43

3.7.1 Development of Education in Ghana .......................................................................46

3.8 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................49

CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................50

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS .................50

4.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................50

4.1 Interviewees Background ...............................................................................................50

4.2 Findings and Analysis ....................................................................................................51

4.3 Conflict Management Styles ..........................................................................................52

4.4 Factors that influence Conflict Management Practices ..................................................55

4.5 Challenges in Managing Conflicts .................................................................................59

viii
 4.6 Roles of Conflict Management in Institutional Growth .................................................63

4.7 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................66

CHAPTER FIVE....................................................................................................................67

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............67

5.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................67

5.1 Summary of Major Findings ..........................................................................................67

5.1.1 Conflict Management Practices in Basic Schools ...................................................67

5.1.2 Factors influencing Conflict Management ..............................................................68

5.1.3 Challenges encountered in Managing Conflicts ......................................................68

5.1.4 Roles of Conflict Management in Institutional Growth ...........................................69

5.2 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................69

5.3 Recommendations ..........................................................................................................70

5.3.1 Training Programs ..................................................................................................70

5.3.2 Education on Conflict Management ........................................................................70

5.3.3 Flexibility of Organizational Structure....................................................................71

5.3.4 Flexibility of Organizational Culture ......................................................................71

5.3.5 Leadership Style .......................................................................................................72

5.3.6 Time and Venue .......................................................................................................72

REFERENCES………………………………………….……………………………….73

APPENDIX .........................................................................................................................81

ix
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Managing Interpersonal Conflict ……………………………………………….…21

Table 3.1 Sex of Respondents ..................................................................................................39

x
 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig. 2.1 Source: Adapted from Rahim (2002) ............................................................ 17

Fig. 2.2 Source:Field Survey (2014) .......................................................................... 33

Fig. 3.1 Source: Google.com ..................................................................................... 44

Fig. 3.2 Source: Google.com ..................................................................................... 44

Figure 4.1 Source: Field Survey, (2014) .................................................................... 53

Fig. 4.2 Factors influencing Conflict Management ................................................... 59

Fig. 4.3 Source: Field Survey, (2014) ........................................................................ 62

Figure 4.4 Roles of Conflict Management.................................................................. 66

xi
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

KNUST - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

GNAT - Ghana National Association of Teachers

CTA- Concerned Teachers Association

JHS - Junior High School

R/C - Roman Catholic

D/A - District Assembly

xii
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background of the Study

Conflict has gradually become an unavoidable situation in every institution including

educational institutions in Ghana. The dynamic nature of the society in which we

reside may bring about incompatibilities which may eventually lead to conflicts.

According to Rahim (2002), conflict generally refers to differences in opinions and

perceptions concerning a particular issue at a particular period of time. Itusually arise

when issues and interests change over time due to social, political and economic

dynamisms in the society in which we live in, (Tjosvold, 1993).Because of the

unavoidable nature of conflicts in all institutions, there is therefore the need for

institutions to learn to deal with them effectively to minimize their negative impact

and maximize their positive impact on institutions (Almost, 2006). The

incompatibilities which lead to conflict could bring about both negative and positive

outcomes. However, the positive or negative impact of conflict on the individual and

institution would basically depend on how it is managed. Managing conflict may

require the adaptation of certain practices known as conflict management practices.

Conflict management practices have become one of the major areas of concern to

many human resource managers over time. They are simply the activities or remedies

put in place to manage disagreements and incompatibilities in institutions in order to

maintain peace, stability and also achieve greater output (Kantek and Gezer, 2009).

In spite of the fact that conflict management practices have been in use for many

years, these practices and styles were continually modified as the nature of conflicts

1
change. According to Simmon and Peterson (2000), conflict management does not

necessarily mean the total elimination of conflict as it is in the case of conflict

resolution, but rather, the effective management of conflicts to achieve a positive

outcome out of the conflict situation while reducing the negative outcome of the

conflict to the minimum. In other words, it is the process of capitalizing on the

positive outcomes of conflicts and eliminating the negative outcomes. According to

Cox (2003), conflict management minimizes the negative impact of conflict and

promotes the positive outcome of conflicts. The author further commented that

conflict resolution amounts to throwing out the baby together with the bath water. In

the attempt to manage conflict effectively, some approaches have been identified by

some authors in this field.

Earlier researchers such as Follett (1940) found conflict managed by individuals as

dominating, compromising or integrating. However, some institutions adapt methods

such as coercion and negotiation in managing their conflicts. Coercion is where force

is used in dealing with conflicts while negotiation takes the form of mutual

agreement between the two parties in managing the conflict situations. Most

researchers in this field of study are of the notion that in order to gain the best from

conflicts and reduce the negative outcome of conflicts, diagnosis and intervention of

the problem would be necessary (Gordon, 2003; Maccoby and Studder, 1998).

According to Gordon (2003), diagnosis is the stage where the actual cause of the

conflict is detected while the intervention stage is when appropriate solutions are

identified to manage the problem. The author further commented that the

dependency of intervention on proper diagnosis gives rise to an interrelationship

2
between these two processes. The author again added that proper diagnosis of the

nature and cause of conflicts could lead to the adaptation of appropriate interventions

to facilitate effective management of conflict. This research therefore sought to dive

deep into the concept of conflict management and its influence on the overall

performance of the organizations.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

Education is very important for the successful development of every nation. The

education can either be formal or informal. The formal educational systems in Ghana

have been put into categories depending on the age of the child.In Ghana, basic

school comprises of Nursery, Kindergarten, Primary School and Junior High

School.Ashanti Region currently has between 67.7% and 86.9% of its population in

primary school and a range between 16.1 % and 22.4 % of the population in the

Junior High School. This basic education equips the individual with the required

skills to deal with basic problems they might encounter in their respective

environments. Education enables individuals to acquire adequate knowledge on how

to manage the various departments of their lives like their marital life. Furthermore,

education enlightens individuals in making decisions concerning their jobs and other

aspects of their lives. However, conflict which is an unavoidable phenomenon in all

organizations is also present in basic schools in the Ashanti Region.Conflict being it

organizational or interpersonal when not managed well may breed low morale and

lack of cooperation among employees which at the long run could bring about poor

organizational performance (Rahim, 2002). There is therefore the need to manage

conflicts in educational institutions in order to capitalize on the constructive aspect of

conflict.

3
The main objective of this study is basically to explore conflict management in basic

schools in the Ashanti Region. This would be achieved by exploring conflict

management strategies and their impact on organizational performance. The study

also aims to examine the challenges and factors that influence conflict management

in basic schools.

1.2 Objectives of the Research

The objective of the study has been divided into general objective and specific

objectives.

1.2.1 General Objective

The general objective of the study is to explore conflict management practices in

selected basic schools in Ashanti Region.

1.2.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the study are:

1. to identify conflict management practices (if any) adapted by basic schools in

Ashanti Region.

2. to determine the factors that influence conflict management in basic schools

in Ashanti Region.

3. to determine the challenges encountered in managing conflict in basic schools

in Ashanti Region.

4. to identify the roles played by conflict management in achieving institutional

performance in basic schools in Ashanti Region.

4
1.3 Research Questions

Based on the objectives set above, the following questions needed to be answered:

1. which conflict management practices have been adapted in basic schools in

Ashanti Region?

2. what are the factors that influence conflict management in basic schools in

Ashanti Region?

3. what are the challenges faced by basic schools in Ashanti Region in

managing conflicts?

4. what roles do conflict management play in achieving institutional

performance in basic schools in Ashanti Region?

1.4 Significance of the Study

Education in general could be a vital tool in achieving the goals of any nation in the

world. The same is with education in Ghana. Children in Ghana usually turn up to

become more responsible when they are able to acquire the needed knowledge and

skills through formal education in schools. Through education, the children learn to

be independent in accomplishing certain tasks such as taking leadership positions.

They learn to work on their own without the help of a third party in accomplishing

their responsibilities. When conflict which is an unavoidable phenomenon is well

managed, teachers working in educational institutions would gain high morale and

would always be willing to put up their best in fulfilling their responsibilities as

mentors to the pupils. This also helps to improve the overall performance of the

teachers which could be evident in the performance of the pupils. Through education,

the pupils could acquire skills in dealing with conflicts of all forms as they carry on

5
with their day-to-day activities. Cooperation among staff could easily be attained

when there is effective management of conflict in institutions. This could be

achieved when the problems and conflicts within the organization are resolved

amicably ensuring unity and understanding among the workers. Individuals in their

various homes could adapt the conflict management styles described in this study in

managing their interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts. For instance, resolving

conflict within one‟s own self. Also, other stakeholders of education such as parents

and government would benefit from this study because some of the conflict

management styles discussed in this study could be adapted by these stakeholders in

managing conflicts. For example, in a case where a teacher punishes a child severely,

some form of tension or misunderstanding could arise between the teacher and the

parent of the ward but through conflict management, mutual understanding could be

achieved.

1.5 Methodology

The research was based on both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary

sources of data were used because they gave firsthand information about the subject

matter. The primary sources of data were obtained through face-to-face interviews

and observations. The interviews comprised of nineteen (19) questions and a total of

fifty two (52) respondents were interviewed. Content analysis approaches was used

to analyze the data gathered because the questions for the interview sought to explore

conflict management in basic schools and also establish relationships among

concepts. Content analysis was used because it also provided insight into complex

models of human thought and behaviors. Secondary sources of data were also

6
obtained from institutional reports, magazines and journals. This source of data was

used because it gave additional information about the subject matter.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study was to capture some selected educational institutions in Ashanti Region,

precisely in the Bosome Freho District. This district was chosen because it is a new

district and it has been realised that it easily encounters conflicts and difficulties in

managing conflicts. Also, this scope was used because it enabled the researcher to

have easy access to information needed and also easy access to the respondents who

were mainly teachers. This study was therefore intended to explore conflict

management in basic schools in the district and its role in institutional growth in the

entire region. The study included the following concepts in an attempt to understand

conflict management: the various conflict management styles, challenges in

managing conflicts, factors that influence conflict management and the roles of

conflict management in institutions growth in Ashanti Region.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

Some challenges were encountered in this study especially in the data collection

stage. The first limitation encountered in this study was the difficulty in obtaining

data for the research work. Due to the fact that most of the respondents were in

remote villages, it was quite difficult getting in touch with them. Another limitation

was that, most of the respondents were reluctant in responding to the questions posed

to them. This was due to the fact that some of the respondents were trying to be

7
secretive and concealed some vital information with the intention of protecting the

image of their institution.

1.8 Organization of the Study

In order to achieve the stated objectives, the entire project was structured into five

different chapters. Chapter one comprised of a number of items ranging from

introduction of the project to organization of the study. Related literature on the topic

was reviewed in chapter two while chapter three dealt with the methodology which

entailed the methods used and the data analysis techniques used for the study.

Chapter four tackled the conduction of interviews and analyzing of data while

chapter five which was the last chapter summarized the major findings, drew

conclusions and suggested recommendations.

8
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

Chapter one outlined the context within which the research was undertaken and set

out the research objectives, research questions, the research methodologies and the

scope of the research. This chapter does a critical review of literature done on

conflict management. It begins with a discussion on conflict management as an

important issue educational institutions have to deal with. This was then followed by

discussion on various conflict management styles and the challenges encountered in

managing conflicts. The chapter then further examined the factors which influence

conflict management in basic schools and the role of conflict management in

institutional growth. The chapter concludes with the development of a conceptual

framework of the relationship between conflict management and institutional

performance.

2.1 Conflict and its Management as an Organizational Phenomenon

Conflict in organizations may occur among colleagues at the workplace, between

superiors and subordinates among others. Generally, conflict to the ordinary person

is differences in opinions and perceptions concerning a particular issue at a particular

time. Conflict has been defined by various authors in diverse ways. According to

Roloff (1987 p. 496), “organizational conflict occurs when members engage in

activities that are incompatible with those of their colleagues within their network,

members of other collectivities, or unaffiliated individuals who utilize the services or

products of the organization”. Mullins (2005) perceived conflict as a behavior that

9
obstructs the achievements of some other person‟s goals. In his definition, more

emphasis was laid on conflict as an obstruction or hindrance to goals achievement

while the earlier definition emphasizes on incompatibilities among members. Wall

and Callister (1995, p.517) also viewed conflict as a process where one party

perceives its interests are negatively influenced by another party. However, Mason

and Mayer (1990) viewed conflict as the use of coercive power to get things done.

Moreover conflict always arises when there are certain conditions. There should

always be the existence of opposing forces as was suggested by Baron (1990). These

opposing forces which lead to conflict may arise when issues and interest of parties

change due to social, political and economic dynamisms in the environment (Trudel

and Reio, 2011). Basically, there are some inconsistencies concerning the amount of

conflict to be encouraged in institutions as suggested by various scholars in this field.

Several researchers who include Assael (1969) and Evans (1965) have suggested that

some amount of conflict is always necessary for the success and the effectiveness of

organizations. Also among these researchers was Preffer (1981) and Sportsman and

Hamilton (2007) who strongly supported this notion when they commented that

some degree of intra conflict and inter group conflict is always necessary in

maintaining and achieving a self-critical and a creative edge among employees in an

organization. Moreover, Jehn (1995) also showed consistency with the comment of

the two authors above. However, Wall and Callister (1995) had a different opinion.

They rather argued that conflict should not be encouraged at all in institutions as a

means of achieving organizational goals. Past studies have shown that only few

scholars have shown consistencies with the view of Wall and Callister (1995). One

of such scholars included Mitroff (1995). According to Rahim (2002), organizations

10
should reward failures else employees would do what is safe and avoid taking risk.

Schein (1993) acknowledged this when he emphasized the use of carrot instead of

stick; rewarding failures instead of discouraging them to encourage risk taking.

Conflicts are unavoidable and since they are very difficult to eliminate, institutions

have to adapt appropriate ways of managing them in order to minimize their

devastating effects on the institution.

According to Kolb and Putman (1992), conflict management is the process of

organizing to resolve conflicts and planning to avoid conflict where possible.

Conflict management however doesn‟t imply total avoidance or elimination of

conflict but rather minimizing the destructive consequences of conflict and

maximizing the constructive aspect of it. Studies have identified some useful

approaches to managing conflicts. Some of them are to be empathic and have a good

listening ear as a manager, have good communication skills, choosing the right time

to resolve the conflict, avoiding judging of the parties, giving the parties equal

chances to speak and an equal weight for their arguments. Some authors consider the

use of power as a means of managing conflicts (Mason and Mayer, 1990).

Morgan (1986), is one of such authors who suggested that, power is a medium

through which conflicts of interest are resolved. He also came up with three

perspectives to issues associated with interest, power and conflict. They were:

unitary perspective; which viewed the organization as a collaborative body which has

a common goal, the pluralist perspective; which viewed the organization as a loose

coalition of a range of different interest groups and the radical perspective; where

conflict was unavoidable and the organization was seen as composed of opposing

11
forces of a class nature. Cole (1998) was consistent with the view of Morgan (1986)

when he suggested the use of power to resolve conflicts. He further explained that

pluralist managers tend to be proactive and defensive and political too. Such

managers always ensure they win in competitions and always prefer to compromise

and accommodate when dealing with conflicts. They also try to choose the right

conflict management styles that best suit their purposes and power position at any

point in time. Different authors have diverse views on what conflict management

actually is.

2.1.1 Definitions of Conflict Management

Conflict management has been defined differently by different authors. However,

there is a common idea that runs through all the definitions given by these authors.

Some of the diverse definitions of conflict management given by different authors

have been stated below:

a. Rahim (2002) defined conflict management as “……the process of

maximizing the positive aspect of conflict while minimizing the negative

aspect of conflict in order to enhance learning and improve organizational

effectiveness.”The author also considered good communication and problem

solving as vital tools in managing conflicts.

b. Conflict management was also defined by Burton (1998) as “the process of

identifying the main causes of tension in relationships being it interpersonal

or intra-personal and dealing with them……..” This definition implied that,

12
 effective management of conflict required the identification of the main

causes of the problem.

c. According to Swanstom and Weissmann (2005), “…….. conflict management

is seen as a requirement that is needed to initiate preventive measures to

conflicts.” The author further added that managing conflict required putting

down appropriate measures to prevent the problem from reoccurring.

d. Girard and Koch (1996)viewed conflict management as“…….the act of

putting in place measures to prevent a person from becoming

ineffective……..”These authors further explained that anytime there is

conflict, the person involved is considered ineffective.

All the above definitions of conflict management helped the researcher to attain a

deeper insight into the concept of conflict management. The definitions emphasized

how to attain the best out of conflict situations in order to make the individual more

effective. Therefore, in order to achieve these targets, some practices or styles would

have to be adapted. These practices are known as conflict management practices or

styles.

2.2 Conflict Management Styles

A lot of studies have been conducted in this area of conflict management. However,

scholars have not been able to identify the one best style for managing conflict.

These scholars maintained that the appropriateness of any given style depends on

factors such as the situation and the nature of the conflict. Also, they considered a

conflict management style as appropriate for a particular situation if only it was able

13
to provide effective solution to the problem. Rahim (2002), who is a renowned

scholar in the field of conflict management, further acknowledged that, there is no

one best approach to managing conflict. However, Likert and Likert (1976)

suggested the problem solving style or the integrating style of managing conflict as

the most appropriate in most situations. Many authors have come out with some

diverse styles and mechanisms for managing conflicts. Among these authors was

Follett (1940) who came up with three distinct ways of handling interpersonal

conflicts; domination, compromise and integration. She also identified avoidance and

suppression as other ways of dealing with conflicts in organizations. Blake and

Mouton (1964) also proposed a conflict management model consisting of five

distinct conflict management styles. These included forcing, withdrawing,

smoothing, compromising and problem solving. This conceptual scheme of conflict

management by Blake and Mouton (1964) was later remolded by Thomas (1976)

into five different styles based on “concern for others and concern for one‟s own

self”. Concern for one‟s own self placed more emphasis on satisfying the interest of

one‟s own self at the expense of others‟ interest. While concern for others placed

more emphasis on satisfying the interest of other people at the expense of one‟s own

self. He called the concern for others, “cooperativeness” and the concern for one‟s

own self, “assertiveness”.

Assertiveness is the strength with which one party would like to maximize their goals

and interests in relation to the other party‟s goals. One party may maximize their

total concerns (assertiveness) to the total disadvantage of the other party‟s needs and

objectives (uncooperativeness) amounting to a “competitive” position. Also,

neglecting personal needs (assertiveness) as contributing to the achievement of the

14
other party‟s needs (cooperativeness) could result in an “accommodative”

relationship. “Compromise” behavior is neither accommodating nor competitiveness

because it satisfies only a portion of both parties‟ interests. Moreover, fulfilling one‟s

expectations (assertiveness) and that of another‟s (cooperativeness) simultaneously

portrays a “collaborative” behavior. However, when individuals show no concern for

their own goals, conflict situations could be avoided (Rahim, 2002; Euwema et. al.,

2003).

Pruitt (1983) also came up with a similar model of conflict management styles which

was called “The Dual-Concern Model”. It was also based on the degree of

cooperativeness and assertiveness just like Thomas‟s (1977) model. Pruitt called the

style where there is low assertiveness and high cooperativeness as “the yielding

style”. The author called the style where there is both high assertiveness and

cooperativeness, “the problem solving”. Then the style where there is low

assertiveness and low cooperativeness, he called, “the inaction style”. And lastly,

“the contending style”, where there is high assertiveness and low cooperativeness.

The author further suggested problem solving style as the most appropriate style

where mutually beneficial options are required. He did not consider compromising as

a distinct conflict management style like some other authors did but rather, yielding

style which has a similar explanation like the compromising style. However, other

models identified by scholars classified these styles into five and places more

emphasis on compromise as a distinct style of managing conflict. Other authors in

this field also classified the conflict management styles into two distinct styles. One

of such authors was Kantek and Gezer (2009).

15
Deutsch and Coleman (2000) are one of such authors who came up with

“integrative” and “distributive” models of managing conflict. The distributive style

of managing conflict focused on the distribution of a fixed quantity of positive

outcomes where one party ends up winning and the other party loosing. The

integrative style focused on integrating the concerns of both parties to obtain the best

possible outcome. Recent authors such as Swanstom and Weissmann (2005) came up

with a meta-taxonomy for managing conflict which they considered to be

encompassing all other styles based on the amount of “activeness” and

“agreeableness”.

Agreeableness at the highest level was associated with the attempt to satisfy all

parties involved while activeness was associated with open discussions of different

opinions while still pursuing their own interest. In the authors‟ studies, they also

discovered that activeness doesn‟t necessarily have any significant effect on the

effectiveness of conflict resolution but agreeableness, on the other hand, had a

positive effect on conflict resolution because it impacted positively on how groups

felt about how conflict was managed irrespective of the outcome. The authors also

discovered in their studies that the integrative model led to consistency in better task

related outcomes than the distributive model. In a research done by Rahim and

Bonoma (1979), the two authors came up with two dimensions of the styles of

managing conflicts called the Dual Concern Model which was quite similar to that of

Pruitt‟s (1983) Model. The first dimension dealt with the degree to which a person

would want to satisfy his/ her own concerns. While the other dimension dealt with

the degree to which a person attempts to satisfy the concerns of others. Further

studies conducted by other scholars such as Ruble and Thomas (1976) and also Van

16
de Vliert and Kabanoff (1990) supported the two dimensions proposed by Rahim and

Bonoma (1979). These two dimensions were later combined into five distinct styles

of handling interpersonal conflict. These five styles were integrating, obliging,

dominating, avoiding and compromising. The Dual Model of Rahim is shown in

Figure 2.1.

Fig. 2.1 The Dual Concern Model of Handling Interpersonal Conflict

Source: Adapted from Rahim, (2002)

A contingency theory of leadership propounded by Fiedlers (1967) led to the

development of a contingency approach to conflict management. Recent studies have

shown that integrating and compromising styles are more ideal for dealing with

issues that are strategic in nature while the other styles are more appropriate for

managing day – to – day problems in the organization. The five distinct styles have

been described in detail in the section below.

17
2.2.1 Integrating Style

The integrating style of managing conflict placed more emphasis on high concern for

both self and others (high assertiveness and high cooperativeness). This style also

used problem solving through diagnosis of the problem and then finding of

appropriate interventions for the right problems. Rahim (2002) acknowledged that

the use of this style involved important variables such as, openness and information

exchange, obtaining alternatives and the examination of differences to reach an

effective solution which was acceptable to both parties. Here, the parties were

expected to open up and exchange ideas, because this style involved exchange of

ideas between the parties. According to De Church and Marks (2002), this style was

commonly used when the problem in question was a complex one. A complex

problem as explained by the above author was one that required synthesis of ideas in

order to come out with an appropriate solution. Studies conducted by Lawrence and

Lorsch (1967), discovered integrating style as more appropriate if integration of

activities in different subsystems within an institution was required. This style easily

integrated groups within the institution to ensure effective coordination. Most

researchers including Pruitt and Carnevale (1993) were of the view that problem

solving which were also known as integrating style by Rahim (2002) was more

appropriate when it came to dealing with social conflicts. Issues which were strategic

in nature also yield positive results when integrating style was used.

2.2.2 Obliging Style

Almost (2006), this style is where a person is more concerned about the interest of

others rather than his/her own interest (high cooperativeness and low assertiveness).

18
In this style, the party believes he/she may be wrong and thinks that the other party is

rather right. This usually puts the party at the weaker position. This style is most

applicable where one party gives something of value to the other party in exchange

of something in future when he/she needs help. This style is usually used when the

issue in question is of great importance to the other party and the party also wants to

preserve the relationship. Here, because the party is interested in preserving the

relationship and the issue is also of more importance to the other party, the party then

offers something of value to the other party in hope of getting help in future (Brooks,

2009).

2.2.3 Dominating Style

This is where a party is more concerned about his/her own interest and neglects the

interest of others (high assertiveness and low cooperativeness). This style is

associated with being competitive. A dominating person according to Back and Back

(1994) has the objective of wanting to win so he/she would do anything possible to

achieve his/her objectives by so doing, neglecting the interest of others. Some

scholars have argued that this style was selfish in nature. Unlike obliging where the

issue is of much importance to the other party, here the issue is of importance to the

party so he/she would do whatever it takes to win. In situations where quick

decisions are to be made and the people involved are unskilled, the manager could

adapt this style. However, subordinates who are skilled may see their superiors as

being autocratic. This style was also considered appropriate where the issues

involved are less complex. It is not appropriate to use this style in situations where

both parties are powerful.

19
2.2.4 Avoiding Style

This is where the party has low concern for both self and others too (low

assertiveness and low cooperativeness). A manager who uses this style always fails

to meet his needs and that of others too. Here the party thinks it is not worth

confronting the other party. In situations where the issue is important to one party

and there is responsibility on the party to make decisions, this style may not be

useful. This style requires patience on the part of the two parties. This style is non-

confrontational in nature and it is used for minor issues. Avoiding is always

associated with negative conflicts (De Dreu, 1997). This is true because the real

cause of the problem may not be tackled and the issues may pile up.

2.2.5 Compromising Style

This is where there is an intermediate between concern for self and others (moderate

assertiveness and moderate cooperativeness). This is a kind of “give and take” and

here, both parties give something in order to get something in return. The goals of the

two parties should be mutually exclusive for this style to be effective. Protracted

conflicts could be handled effectively using this style. However, according to Rahim

(2002), this style is not suitable for handling complex problems that require problem

solving. But some managers still use it and they end up getting the wrong results.

This style also, may not be appropriate in situations where one party is more

powerful than the other. This style is most appropriate where integrating or

dominating style cannot be used. Managing conflicts in general come along with

some challenges that institutions face and the institutions should learn to deal with

20
these challenges effectively (Brooks, 2009). The Table 2.1 depicts the conflict

management styles and their appropriateness and inappropriateness.

Table 2.1 Styles of Handling Interpersonal Conflict

Source: Adapted from Rahim, (2002)

21
22
2.3 Factors that influence Conflict Management

Effective conflict management involves making vital changes at the macro-level

within the organization so that affective conflict could greatly be minimized while

increasing substantive conflict. Essential dynamisms in certain areas like leadership,

culture and the organization‟s structural design influence conflict management in

organizations.

2.3.1 Leadership and Management Style

The style of leadership could influence conflict management. Some institutions may

have leaders with particular leadership styles that may motivate on demotivate

conflict management in the institution. Basically, leaders may be either

transformational or transitional. According to Bass (1985) and Deutsch and Coleman

(200), transformational leaders tend to be more charismatic and they can use this

quality to influence effective conflict management. In the same way, in organizations

where leaders are transitional leaders, conflict management may also be influenced

because of the lack of vital qualities on the part of the leaders in managing conflicts.

Basically, no leadership style is considered good or bad.

According to Vroom and Yetton‟s (1973) decision theory and House‟s (1971) path-

goal theory of leadership, there is no one best style for dealing with different issues

but it all depends on the situation. According to the decision theory by Vroom, all the

styles of leadership could be appropriate at any point in time depending on the nature

of the problem and the situation. Therefore, the appropriateness of any leadership

style would depend on the situation. Whenever there is a mismatch between the

23
leadership style and the conflict situation, effective conflict management may not be

achieved. Choosing a leadership style that does not suit a particular conflict situation

may be compared to putting a square peg in a round hole. The most suitable style of

leadership or management to be used could be determined after proper diagnosis has

been effectively done (Cronin and Weingart, 2007). There could be some form of

conflicts that could best be handled by adopting a more autocratic style of leadership.

In the same way, there could be other situations where a democratic style may be

more appropriate. This confirms the findings of the earlier scholars who suggested

that there is no one best style of leadership but it all depends on the situation.

2.3.2 Organizational Culture

Effective conflict management is largely influenced positively by an organizational

culture that encourages openness and risk taking and also sharing of useful

information; a kind of learning where carrot is given instead of a stick to enhance

voluntary learning through positive reinforcement (Schein, 1993). On the other hand,

in situations where the kind of culture discourages employees from challenging the

status quo, employees may not fully cooperate in the conflict management process

and they would keep their opinions to themselves. In such cultures, employees are

not able to bring on board their opinions and suggestions during decision making in

the organization leading to a large pool of untapped ideas.

The culture of reinforcement could also be used effectively by managers to motivate

conflict management behaviors in their respective organizations. This form of

reinforcement could be used to achieve effective performance and creativity as well

as improving long-term performance through rewards. Abrams (2009) affirmed the

24
above statement when he commented that, in organizations where desired behaviors

were encouraged through rewards, expected outcomes were easily achieved.

Managers are therefore encouraged to acknowledge these reinforcement mechanisms

and their influence on conflict management in their organizations.

2.3.3 Organizational Structure

Organizations may have structures which may be hierarchical or flat in nature. No

one structure could be said to be good or bad but its appropriateness would depend

on the situation. According to Rahim (2002), the structure of an organization

includes the hierarchy, procedures, reward systems and many others. In certain

situations, alteration of the structure of the organization may positively or negatively

influence the conflict management practices in the organization. The author also

suggested that the appropriateness of any structure would depend on the

organizational environment. According to him, the structure could either be

mechanistic which is also called bureaucratic or organic which is also called

organismic. Researchers like Lawrence and Lorsch (1967) came up with the findings

that, mechanistic structures were more convenient for departments which responded

to stable environments. On the other hand, organic structures were more suitable for

departments which were responsible for unstable environments. It could be deduced

that the more the congruence between the structure and environment, the more

effective the management of conflict would be. Organizations may alter their

structures based on certain factors.

According to Ducan and Weiss (1979), most organizations responded to conflict and

pressure by changing their organizational structures into more flat, decentralized

25
forms. In recent studies, Stone and Patton (1999) commented that, the changes in

organizational structures to influence conflict management within the organization

was reflected in new organizational forms like the modular organization, virtual

corporation and horizontal organizations.

2.3.4 Organizational Policies and Procedures

The organizational policies have a great influence on the conflict management

practices of organizations. Some policies in the organization may influence the

practices positively or negatively. Some of the policies that positively influence

conflict management include policies that are flexible enough and allow employees

to participate effectively in the conflict management process. Organizational policies

that may influence conflict management negatively include strict rules that do not

allow employees to express themselves and actively participate in the conflict

management process (Euwema et, al., 2007).

2.3.5 Time and Venue

Conflict management may be influenced by the time and venue chosen. VanSant

(2003) commented that if the venue is not suitable for dealing with conflict, the

expected outcome may not be achieved. The author further recommended a serene

environment and a time when all tempers are down as appropriate in order to achieve

a positive response from both parties and generally achieve a successful outcome.

Trying to deal with the problem immediately the problem occurs may worsen the

situation (Cronin and Weingart, 2007).

26
2.4 Challenges in Managing Conflicts

Conflict management in spite of its importance, still has some challenges. These

challenges cut across from the individual level to the organizational level. One of the

major challenges of conflict management is that, some of the conflict management

styles usually turn out to be time consuming and this may cost the institution so

much. In choosing the appropriate style for a particular conflict situation, a time

consuming approach may be required and much of productive time would have to be

forfeited in order to effectively employ a particular conflict management style. De

Drue and Weingart (2003) also showed consistency with this argument on conflict

management style. Also, managers may get carried away by the conflict management

process such that, they may not realize it is eating into normal working hours.

According to Mitroff and Featheringham (1974), one of the challenges that could be

encountered in managing conflict is the occurrence of some form of errors. One of

such errors is the probability of solving a wrong problem. The authors further

commented that, this error usually occurred when there is lack of proper diagnosis of

the problem and where there is inadequate understanding of the nature and cause of

the conflict leading to the application of the wrong intervention to the problem.

Another challenge that could be encountered is lack of cooperation on the part of the

two parties involved in the conflict. When either of the parties or both parties are

reluctant to take active part in the conflict management process, the success of the

entire style may not be achieved. One of the parties or both parties may refuse to take

part in the conflict management process when they probably feel so hurt about the

problem. According to French and Bell (1999), for a conflict management practice to
27
succeed, the parties involved should be willing to take active part in the entire

conflict management process. Back and Back (1994) were also consistent with the

statement made by French and Bell (1999).

According to Cronin and Weingart (2007), conflict between or among people is

associated with emotions. When the person handling the conflict does not have the

professional skills needed to deal with the problem, he/she may end up worsening the

situation. Conflict cannot just be managed by anybody. There are some technicalities

required in managing conflicts. Choosing the appropriate conflict management style

could be very challenging as suggested by Euwema et, al. (2007). But mangers still

need to jump this heddle and manage the problem. When a wrong approach to

handling a particular problem is adopted, the end results could be disastrous (Brooks,

2009). It takes a professional to identify and choose the appropriate conflict

management style to solve the right problem.

Another challenge in handling conflict has to do with the two dimensions of

conflicts, namely; affective and substantive conflict. According to De Drue (1997),

affective conflict which is also known as relationship conflict deals with

incompatibilities relating to interpersonal relationships while substantive conflict

also known as task conflict deals with incompatibilities associated with group

members. Substantive conflict was considered as good conflict while affective

conflict was considered as bad conflict (De Church and Marks, 2002). Rahim (2002)

in his studies drew a conclusion that, there was a positive correlation between the

two dimensions of conflict and this is considered as a challenge. Simmons and

Petersons (2000) in their studies also drew a conclusion similar to Rahim‟s

28
conclusion when they reported a positive correlation between the two dimensions of

conflict which were around 0.34 and 0.88. However, some few researchers

concluded in their studies that there was rather a negative correlation between

affective and substantive conflict. In managing conflicts, there are some factors that

influence conflict management in most institutions in the country.

2.5 Roles of Conflict Management in Institutional Growth

Every institution in the nation needs to grow so that the entire nation could benefit

from it. Conflict management plays an important role in enhancing institutional

growth. Conflict management enhances organizational effectiveness (Rahim, 2002).

When conflicts occur in organizations, they slow down the activities of the

organization and could lead to unproductivity if not properly managed. When the

needed attention is given to every conflict in the institution, no matter how

unimportant they may be, proper diagnosis could be made and appropriate

interventions could be employed so that higher performance could be achieved.

According to Maccoby and Studder (1998), in situations where the conflict type was

destructive rather than constructive, the appropriate conflict management strategy

should be employed if not, organizational effectiveness may not be achieved. In the

same way, if the conflict is constructive and the appropriate conflict management

mechanism is not employed, organizational effectiveness may lack.

Conflict management also plays the role of enhancing organizational learning,

according to Rahim (2002). It helps employees and managers to obtain deeper

understanding of problems and apportion the appropriate measures to deal with them

effectively. For example, the conflict management process gives managers the
29
opportunity to learn new things such as the new causes of conflicts, the nature of

conflicts and the appropriate remedies to deal with them. Organizational learning

comprises of acquisition and distribution as well as preservation of information for

future use. Argyris and Schon (1996) defined learning as detection and correction of

errors. They also identified sing-loop and double-loop learning as two main types of

learning. Single-loop learning was the type that brought about cognitive and

behavioral changes within the existing paradigm through the diagnosis and

intervention of the problem without changing the underlying polices. On the other

hand, double-loop learning leads to cognitive and behavioral changes outside the

existing paradigm through the diagnosis and intervention of the problem by changing

the underlying policies. According to Bateson (1972), double- loop learning was also

known as deutero-learning. The author also maintained that every effective conflict

management practice promoted double-loop learning rather, than single-loop

learning. Managers learn a lot of new things as they manage conflicts in their

institutions. Through experience, they could acquire new ideas about the nature of

the problem, the type of conflict it may lead to (substantive and affective) and the

appropriate measures to be taken to manage the conflict effectively.

Conflict management also ensures that the constructive aspect of conflict is

maximized whiles the destructive aspect is minimized as much as possible (Peters,

1988). The constructive aspect of conflict is very essential in achieving higher

productivity thereby leading to institutional growth. This affirms the comments made

by Pruitt and Carnevale (1993) when they stated that substantive conflict should be

maximized as much as possible while minimizing affective conflict. Conflict

management as suggested by most scholars ensures a competitive working

30
environment which motivates employees to put in their best. Also, tension among

employees is reduced to a lower level to ensure employees have sound minds to

work (Cox, 2003).

According to Roloff (1987), conflict management helps to improve and strengthen

the bond between employees and management. He was of the view that, when

conflicts are properly managed, employees could learn to appreciate their individual

differences and work cordially for the betterment of the organization. Through

conflict management, peace and stability could also be achieved.

Conflict management also plays an ethic advocator role. This could be seen when

subordinates and stakeholders are encouraged to speak against the decisions of their

superiors when those decisions may lead to unpleasant outcomes. Mitroff (1998)

who is a very strong eithics management advocator commented that, problems

should always be defined to benefit humans. Furthermore, Rahim (2002) also

suggested that, for organizations to manage conflicts ethically, organizations should

institutionalize some key positions. These positions are the customer advocate,

employee advocate, supplier advocate, environmental and stockholders advocates.

According to Rahim et, al. (1992), proper attention should be given to these

advocates in order to achieve an ethically managed institution. This at the long-run

would help in the growth of the institution.

31
2.6 Conceptual Framework of the Study

Based on the literature review, a conceptual framework which explained the

influence of conflict management on organizational performance was developed (see

Figure 2.3 on the next page). Conflict management styles and other factors such as

leadership style, institutional culture and institutional structure all influence the

general performance of organizations. When managing conflict, conflict

management styles are used. In choosing a particular style of managing conflict,

there are some factors that need to be considered. Some of these factors include the

organizational structure and policies among others. The conflict management style

adapted and the influencing factors go a long way to affect the general performance

of the organization. When the appropriate conflict management style is adapted

putting into consideration the influencing factors, a positive outcome could be

achieved leading to organizational growth. On the other hand, when a particular style

of managing conflict is adapted without considering the influencing factors, the

positive results expected could not be achieved leading to poor organizational

performance.

32
 Conflict management
styles
 Integrating
 Avoiding
 Compromising
 Dominating
 Obliging

Organizational
Conflict Performance
Management Influencing factors ` Influence
 Institutional
culture
 Leadership
style
 Time and
venue
 Institutional
policies
 Institutional
structure

Fig. 2.2 Conceptual framework of conflict management and its influence on

organizational performance

Source: Field Survey (2014)

2.7 Conclusion

Conflict is an inevitable phenomenon that confronts all organizations and

organizations should therefore learn to deal with them using the appropriate

measures. Conflicts in organizations have both positive and negative impact on the

individual and organization as a whole. The positive aspect could greatly be achieved

when conflicts are properly managed using the appropriate conflict management

styles. However, in adapting any style of managing conflict, some important factors

33
such as the culture of the organization are to be considered. This goes a long way to

affect the overall performance of the organization at any particular point in time.

34
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

3.0 Introduction

Chapter two presented a review of related literature on conflict management which

was central to the study. This chapter is in two sections. The first section focuses on

the research methodology which includes the research strategy, research design, data

collection, sampling technique and data analysis method. The second section focuses

on the organizational profile of the study area and this involves selected basic

schools in Ashanti Region of Ghana.

3.1.0 Research Methodology

Research methodology according to Kumar (2005) deals with the research

population, the sample, the sampling techniques, the research instruments and the

procedures for administering the research instruments. The author further maintained

that the research methodology for any research work depended mainly on the

problem and purpose of the study. Research methodology portrays the exact idea the

researcher is carrying out (Walliman, 2001). It also involves considering the methods

of collecting data and the theories and concepts underpinning the research topic

(Silverman and Atkinson, 1997).The methodology therefore gives the researcher a

sense of direction in carrying out the study. There are different types of research

methodologies which include qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative

methodology requires numerical measurement and mathematical assessment of

variables while qualitative methodology focuses on understanding through verbal

narratives and observations (Neuman, 2000).

35
3.1.1 Research Design

The research design is the framework for the entire research. The research purpose

was to explore conflict management. The time horizon used for the research was

cross-sectional method. Cross-sectional data entails measuring different variables at

a particular point in time. In this method, data is usually dispersed. This method was

used because it offered an easier way of gathering and assessing data. Also, it is less

expensive in relation to the other methods (Adentwi and Amartei, 2012). Some of the

research designs included descriptive, exploratory and explanatory methods.

According to Alder and Alder (1994), descriptive research was concerned with the

conditions or relationships that exist, such as determining the nature of prevailing

conditions, practices and attitudes; opinions that are held; processes that are going

on; or trends that are developed.

Glass and Hopkins (1984) also maintained that in descriptive research, accurate

description of activities, objects, processes and persons was the main aim. Usually,

visual aids such as graphs and charts are used to aid the reader in understanding the

distribution of the data. Exploratory research, is more concerned with finding out

what is happening on the grounds. It may require seeking new understanding, asking

questions and assessing phenomenon. Explanatory research seeks to know „why‟,

and to „explain‟ phenomenon. It capitalizes on exploratory and descriptive research

and goes further to identify the reasons for the occurrence of an action. This type of

research method basically seeks for causes and reasons (Peil, 1982). For the purpose

of this study, the researcher used exploratory method because the researcher sought

to explore and gather data on conflict management and also obtain a deeper

understanding of the concept.

36
3.1.2 Research Strategy

There are two major research strategies that could be adapted in any research work.

They are qualitative and quantitative strategies. Qualitative research involves a range

of philosophies, designs and specific techniques including in-depth interviews,

participant and non-participant observation, focus groups, document analyses, and a

number of other methods of data collection (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). On the other

hand, quantitative research according to Burns & Groove (2005) is a formal,

objective, systematic process in which numerical data are used to obtain information.

Quantitative research has a disadvantage of being expensive in relation to qualitative

research and also, there may also be inconsistencies in the numbers used. According

to Turner (2013), quantitative data has an advantage of being easily drawn into

graphs because of its numerical nature which could be more useful for statistical

purposes.

For the purpose of this study, the researcher used qualitative approach because the

researcher wanted to gain a deeper understanding of what the targeted population

thinks about the topic. Furthermore, in adopting the qualitative approach, the study

proposed that organizations exist as social entities and so the overall dynamics that

influence individual and organizational conflict management needed to be explored.

Also, qualitative research presents a wide range of different techniques for data

collection to produce insight into the sensitive nature of conflict management.

Qualitative data is often derived from field notes, observations, interviews and

organizational records and therefore in the case of this study, the qualitative data was

from interviews and some observed activities.

37
3.2 Sources of Data

The researcher adapted two main sources of data in this study. The two main sources

of data used were from primary and secondary sources.

3.2.1 Primary Data

The primary data the researcher used were semi structured interviews and

observation. According to Adentwi and Amartei (2012), interview is the act of

asking questions in connection with the research topic. The interviews were between

two people and sometimes among groups of people for the purpose of gathering

useful data on the research topic. In order to facilitate the interview process, the

researcher designed an interview guide. An interview guide is a set of questions

designed to help direct the researcher in gathering data on the research topic (Peil,

1982). The researcher used face-to-face interviews because it had the advantage of

being flexible in its administration and also provided an opportunity for the

researcher to observe the respondents‟ formal and informal gestures. Observation

was also used because it had the advantage of helping the researcher to confirm some

of the responses given by respondents.

3.2.2 Secondary Data

Secondary data are data which are already in existence and might have been used

before. Some of the secondary data were collected from secondary sources such as

institutional records such as books, journals, magazines and reports. These records

were obtained from the Ministry of Education, Ghana National Association of

Teachers (GNAT) and the Concern Teachers Association (CTA).

38
3.3 Population

The term population in research simply refers to all the members and individuals

targeted for the research (Walliman, 2001). The author further maintained that the

population for any research work depended on the purpose of the study. With regards

to this study, the population was teachers in basic schools in Ashanti Region

precisely in the Bosome Freho District. The sample size was (52) staff from some

selected basic schools in the region. These basic schools were selected because of

their location. The sample size of (52) was used because the researcher wanted to

have a wholistic understanding of the research topic. The sample was categorized

into the following groups; heads and teachers (male and female).

Table 3.2 Sex of Respondents

Source: Field Survey (2014)

Position Male Female Total

Heads 3 0 3

Teachers 38 11 49

Total 41 11 52

Percent 78.85 21.15 100

39
3.4 Sampling Techniques

According to Trochim (2006), sampling is the process of selecting units from a

population of interest so that by studying the sample a generalized conclusion could

be drawn. Adentwi and Amartei (2012) maintained that, sampling was a process of

selecting a part of a given population to represent the whole population. There are

two main sampling techniques; probability and non-probability sampling techniques.

In the probability sampling technique, all members of the population have equal

chances of being selected. However, according to Glass and Hopkins (1984), non-

probability sampling presents a situation where selection is made based on other

factors aside probability. One of such non probability sampling techniques is

purposive sampling technique which was used in this study. Purposive or judgmental

sampling is where researcher uses his/her own judgment to select population

members whom he thinks will give him the needed results. The rationale behind the

use of purposive sampling technique was because it enabled the researcher to select

the required category of people for the research (teachers). It also helped the

researcher to obtain the needed responses.

3.5 Data Collection

The data collection tools used for the study were interview and observation.

According to Patton (1990), the choice of data collection instrument would depend

on an overall judgment on which type of data is needed for a particular problem. But

for the purpose of this study, semi structured interviews and observations were used.

40
3.5.1Interview

According to Maccoby and Studder (1998), interview is a face-to-face verbal

exchange of information in which one person, the reviewer attempts to elicit

information or expressions of opinions and/or belief from another person or persons.

The researcher engaged respondents in a face-to-face interview using a well-

designed interview guide to give the interviewer a sense of direction. The face-to-

face semi-structured interview was appropriate because it gave the researcher the

opportunity to probe further the opinions expressed by respondents. To ensure and

promote validity and reliability of the data collected; interviewees were briefed on

the subject matter of the interview before the actual interview began. This was to

allow them to gain better understanding of the information being requested from

them.

3.5.2 Interview Guide

According to Silverman and Atkinson (1997), there was extensive use of interview as

a major technique for acquiring information using a well-designed document called

an interview guide. The interview guide gave the interviewer a sense of direction in

soliciting responses from the interviewees so that the interviewer would not lose

track of the appropriate questions to be asked. The interview guide was derived

mostly from the literature review and consisted of issues relating to the concept of

conflict management. Specifically, the interview covered a range of literature review

themes including conflict management styles, influencing factors, challenges and the

roles conflict management play in organizational growth. The interview guide used

for the interview is shown in the appendix.

41
3.5.3 Interviewees

The interviews in qualitative research are conducted to describe, understand and

clarify human experiences and therefore, the selection of interviewees is an

important component in obtaining the needed data. Since in this interview the study

sought to gather and draw upon practical knowledge, interviewees with divergent

forms of experiences and knowledge in education were selected. The “purposive

strategy” allowed for the creation of a diverse pool of participants who were

purposely selected and interviewed. This was done to reduce bias. In total, fifty two

(52) interviews were conducted. The respondents had an average age between twenty

four (24) and thirty nine (39) years. They had an average working experience of three

years and their positions included headmasters of basic schools.

3.5.4 Observation

Observation is described as the fundamental base of all research methods in social

science. Observation enables the interviewer to obtain a complete picture of the

situation (Alder & Alder, 1994). Also, Peil (1982) asserted that, observation involved

noting points down on the subject matter. The study adopted the participant

observation method because it allowed focus on observable behaviors among

respondents occurring during all aspects of formal and informal interactions.

3.6 Data Analysis Techniques

The qualitative data collected through interviews and observations were analyzed

using content analysis. Content analysis is a research tool used to determine the

presence of certain words or concepts within texts or sets of texts (Silverman and

42
Atkinson, 1997).This method considers communication through texts and gets to the

core of social interactions and identifies relationships among concepts. Data was

prepared and organized through editing by correcting mistakes and deleting some

responses. Data was then grouped based on responses given by respondents.

3.7Organizational Profile

This section of the chapter focuses on the development of education in Ghana,

precisely in the Bosome Freho District of the Ashanti Region. Ashanti Region is one

of the ten regions of Ghana. The region lies between longitudes 0.15W and 2.25W,

and latitudes 5.50N and 7.46N and it shares boundaries with four of the ten political

regions; Brong-Ahafo in the north, Eastern region in the east, Central region in the

south and Western Region in the South west. Ashanti Region is divided into twenty

seven (27) districts of which Bosome Freho District is one. The region currently has

a population between 51.3% and 73.0% in the primary school and a population

between 16.1% and 22.4% currently in the Junior High School (google.com). A

diagram of Ghana and the Ashanti Region has been showed in Figure3.1 & Figure

3.2 respectively.

43
Fig. 3.1 Ghana Map

Source: Google.com

Fig. 3.2 Map indicating Ashanti Region

Source: Google.com

44
Three different schools in the Bosome Freho District of the Ashanti Region were

used as the case study schools. These schools were Tebeso I R/C Basic School,

Fereso R/C Basic School and Tebeso II D/A Basic School. These three schools were

named after the village in which the school is. These three schools have a common

objective; that is to equip the people in the village with the appropriate skills and

education to enable the people to solve some basic problems they would encounter in

their lives. These three schools have always resorted to the use of corporal

punishment as a way of disciplining their pupils. The schools also have extra-

curricular activities such as games which help to develop the pupils wholistically.

Tebeso I R/C Basic School has about 960 pupils enrolled in the school. The school

was named after the village. The natives of the village organized and built a six

classroom block and a kindergarten. It was initially from the kindergarten to primary

six. Some years later, the Junior High School was also established in the village to

avoid the inconvenience of moving to a different school for further studies. The

school has an average number of twenty five teachers including national service

persons and some youth employment teachers. About fifty percent of the teachers in

the school are trained teachers with the remaining fifty percent being pupil teachers

and non-professional teachers. The school has a computer laboratory and a library

well equipped with books and two computers. Evening classes are organized for the

pupils to engage them in the evenings. The entire school, both primary and JHS is

headed by one headmaster with an appointed nominal heads for the JHS and the

kindergarten. The school is on the school feeding program.

45
Fereso R/C Basic School is located in the village of Fereso in the Bosome Freho

District. The school has a total enrolment of about 964 pupils for both primary and

JHS and the kindergarten too. The school has twenty six teachers including national

service persons. About sixty percent of the teachers are trained teachers with the

other forty percent being pupil teachers. The school is headed by one headmaster

with nominal heads appointed for the various departments. The school is on the

school feeding program for the primary and kindergarten pupils. The school also

organizes extra classes for the pupils to help boost their academic performance.

Tebeso II D/A Basic School is located in the village of Tebeso II in the Bosome

Freho District. The school has a total enrollment of about 925 pupils. The school has

twenty two teachers and about sixty percent of these teachers are males. A greater

percentage of these teachers are trained teachers. The school is headed by one head

with nominal heads appointed for the other departments. The school is on the school

feeding program which encourages the pupils to come to school more often. The

teachers in the JHS organize extra classes for the pupils early in the morning before

normal classes begin.

3.7.1 Development of Education in Ghana

According to Agbodeka (1971), the introduction of Western formal education in

Ghana was linked to the coming of the European merchants to the Guinea Coast

from the middle of the fifteenth (15th) century. The Portuguese were the first

merchants who provided formal education to the indigenous people of Ghana as a

means to smooth commercial activities. Other Europeans who contributed to the

46
development of formal education in Ghana included the Dutch, Danes and the

British. These merchants lived in castles along the coast of Ghana and they

established a school called “the castle school” at Cape Coast. However, a solid

foundation and rapid spread of formal education into the interior parts of the country

was credited to the Christian missionaries who arrived from 1828 onwards. These

missionaries were the Basel, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Presbyterian Church

(Breman), Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) and the Wesleyan missionaries (Oti-Agyen,

2007).

The Portuguese first arrived in Ghana, the then Gold Coast, in January 1471. They

established the first school in Ghana at the Elmina Castle in 1529. This first school in

the Gold Coast taught the African child how to read and write and also the Christian

religion using the Portuguese language as a medium of instruction. The Dutch West

Indian Company also came to establish another school purposely to teach the mulatto

children how to read and write and also religion using the Dutch language as a

medium of instruction, after driving the Portuguese away. The Dutch granted

scholarships to some of the boys in their schools to study in Holland. Among these

students was Jacobus Capitein. In 1694, the British had already arrived in the Gold

Coast and they established another school at the Cape Coast Castle where they were

residing under John Chiltman. This school was called the Cape Coast Castle School.

The curriculum in the school were; reading, writing, arithmetic and religious

knowledge. The medium of instruction used by the British was English Language.

They also gave scholarship to some of their students to study in England. Among

these students was Philip Quaque who later returned to Gold Coast after his studies

in England and re- opened the Cape Coast Castle School after it was closed down.

47
The students were provided with uniforms, badges and money for books under the

administration of Philip Quaque. The school was renamed “Cape Coast Colonial

School” after the death of Quaque in 1821. The Danes also came to Gold Coast and

established schools along the coast eastward of Accra in 1722. The pupils in their

schools were provided with skirts and caps to wear and soldiers were employed to

teach the students. They also gave scholarships to their students like the other

merchants did. Among these students given scholarships was Christian Protten. The

missionaries also contributed significantly to the development of education in Ghana

(Foster, 1965).

The Basel missionaries were the first missionaries to arrive in Ghana in 1825.

Between the periods of 1843-1899, they had established forty five (45) schools in the

country. These schools were situated in areas like Abokobi and Nkoranza and they

studied reading, writing, arithmetic, Akuapim Twi, Ga and Bible Study. They also

promoted the study of agriculture in their schools and their education stressed on

trade instructions. The Wesleyan missionaries by 1880 had established 80 schools in

Kumasi and its environs. The Breman missionaries settled among the Ewes in

Ghana. They established Amedzofe Seminary and also, their education stressed on

trade instructions. The Roman Catholic missionaries‟ first school was the Cape Coast

Castle School by the Portuguese in Elmina in 1529. This was as a result of the fact

that, the Portuguese who established the first school in the country were Catholics.

The Catholic missionaries also established the Cape Coast Catholic School in 1901

with an enrolment of five thousand students (5000). In March 1884, the first girls‟

school was established in Ghana. Also, the first kindergarten was later established in

Elmina. Another school was opened at Keta and others were established at Kumasi.

48
According to Babaloala (1988), the Seventh Day Adventist missionaries also

contributed to the development of formal education through the reestablishment of

schools in places like Asante Bekwai, Asamang and Agona. Eventually, formal

education spread throughout the Ashanti Region and all over the entire country.

3.8 Conclusion

In conclusion, education has always played a vital role in the development of Ghana.

However, the presence of conflicts in educational institutions which are inevitable

needed to be managed properly in order not to affect the overall performance of

educational institutions in the region. In an attempt to explore the concept of conflict

management in basic schools in Ghana, data was collected using semi-structured

interviews and observation. Furthermore, the sources of data were primary data and

secondary sources which were obtained from journals and articles. Purposive

sampling technique was used in selecting the sample size and content analysis was

used to analyze the data gathered.

49
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.0 Introduction

Chapter three dealt with the research methodology, data collection instruments, the

sources of data and the methods for analyzing the data. This chapter focuses on the

results obtained after analyzing the data collected and also discussion of the results,

indicating whether the objectives for the study were met or not. The objectives for

the study were, to identify conflict management practices adapted by basic schools,

determine the challenges in managing conflict and determine the factors that

influence conflict management and finally identify the roles of conflict management

in achieving institutional performance in basic schools in Ashanti Region. The data

were collected from three basic schools in the region using face-to-face interviews

with a sample size of fifty two (52) teachers.

4.1Interviewees Background

In-depth interviews were used to collect data from the respondents on conflict

management. The interviewees were teachers from some selected basic schools in

the Ashanti Region. Out of the total number of teachers interviewed, forty one (41)

were males and eleven (11) were females. Twenty three (23) of them were between

the ages of 18-35years and twenty nine (29) of them were 35 years upwards. Also,

out of the fifty two (52) teachers interviewed, only twelve (12) of them were degree

holders. The remaining teachers were SHS and Diploma holders.

50
4.2 Findings and Analysis

The semi structured interviews yielded some interesting findings. In analyzing the

information, each tape – recorded interview was transcribed. The notes taken at the

interviews were also analyzed as part of the interview evidence. In order to examine

and explore data, the transcribed data and notes were categorized into broad themes

and sub-themes in line with the research objectives and the interview guide. This

allowed the data to be coded into four main headings:

(1) issues of conflict management practices in basic schools,

(2) factors influencing conflict management,

(3) challenges encountered in managing conflict and

(4) the roles of conflict management in organizational growth.

Issues of conflict management practices in basic schools covered responses that

related to issues associated with conflict management styles. The factors influencing

conflict management were restricted to responses that related to the factors that

influenced the dynamics of conflict management in basic schools. The challenges

encountered in managing conflict referred to responses on conflict management and

the difficulties associated with the management of conflicts. The roles conflict

management played in organizational growth referred to the various contributions of

conflict management in ensuring greater output and productivity in organizations.

51
4.3Conflict Management Styles

In considering the adaptability of the various conflict management styles, the

integrating style (high assertiveness and cooperativeness) scored the greatest point

which suggested that, it was considered as the most commonly adapted and style

according to the responses given by the respondents. This was closely followed by

the compromising style, the obliging style, the avoiding style and finally the

dominating style which scored the least points. The integrating style was preferred by

most of the respondents because it allowed for the achievement of greater self-

interest and the interest of others as well. This was in line with the assertion of

Rahim (2002) and Brooks (2009). In response to some of the questions asked, a

range of views were expressed by the interviewees. For instance,

A female teacher noted that:

“…………in as much as we all want the best for ourselves, we should also

try at the same time to consider the interest of others too.”

A male teacher also commented that:

“…………we can sometimes be a little religious when it gets to issues like

this. We should learn to care for others and not be selfish all because we

want to satisfy our interest.”

The diagram in Fig. 4.1 represents the five distinct styles of managing conflict as

proposed by the respondents.

52
 Conflict Management

Styles

Figure 4.1 Conflict Management Styles

Source: Field survey, (2014)

There were some teachers who also strongly advocated for the compromising style.

This was because this style also expressed concern for both self and others and it

required giving something in order to obtain something in return. However, this style

did not require high concern for one‟s own self and others as compared to the

integrating style. Some of the respondents were of the view that managing conflict

required giving something in order to obtain something in return therefore, justifying

their reason for choosing the compromising style. Some of the teachers shared their

views on this. For example,

A male teacher confirmed that:

53
 “……….the parties involved in conflict should be ready to give something in

order to obtain something in return.”

From the responses provided by the teachers, obliging style scored few points in

terms of its adaptability in achieving the set targets of the school. This was basically

because most of the respondents thought that this style was difficult to implement.

On the same issue, some teachers also expressed their opinions. For example,

According to one female teacher:

“………I am not ready to stoop low for the other party especially when I

know the other party is at fault; that would be an insult to my personality.”

The dominating style was considered to be selfish in nature by respondents since it

did not care about the interest of others. Here, the party seeks is to satisfy his/her

own interest neglecting the interest of the other party. Moreover, respondents

considered managing conflict without thinking about the other party‟s interest may

lead to a situation where the destructive aspect of conflict is greatly maximized at the

expense of the constructive aspect. Some teachers expressed their views on why they

do not prefer this style. For example, a male teacher commented:

“In order to settle the problem amicably, you also have to be receptive to the

interest of the other party too……….”

The avoiding style was also considered efficient by a number of respondents. Most

of these respondents were of the assertion that, conflicts could best be avoided when

54
certain problems and disagreements are ignored. Some teachers expressed their

opinions on this. For instance, a male teacher commented that:

“……………sometimes, the best way to deal with conflict is to

ignore………..”

This assertion of the above respondent was strongly confirmed by VanSant (2003)

when the author commented that the ideal way to avoid conflict is to overlook the

problem. However, Thomas (1976) strongly denied this assertion and rather thinks

that the ideal way of dealing with any conflict situation was to actually acknowledge

the problem and deal with it.

4.4 Factors that influence Conflict Management Practices

The interviewees were asked to identify the factors that influence conflict

management practices. They identified culture as one of the factors. It was clear from

the responses of the interviewees that culture played a crucial role in the management

of conflict in schools. The interviews pointed out that majority of the respondents

considered organizational culture as the major factor that influenced conflict

management because, they considered the culture of the institution as a major tool

for promoting or affecting negatively conflict management practices as noted by

Swanstom and Weissmann (2005). Some of the teachers affirmed this statement by

their comments. For instance,

55
A male teacher commented that:

“……………the culture in my institution is such that, when there is a

misunderstanding between two parties, it becomes very difficult to get these

parties on a common platform to handle the problem.”

The above quotation points to the notion that an organization‟s beliefs, values, norms

and practices could be associated with conflict management in the organization

because the culture of the organization may hinder or promote the management of

conflicts. This respondent confirmed that the nature of organization‟s culture may or

may not promote the effective management of conflicts. This was consistent with the

theoretical argument made by Simmon and Peterson (2000). However, another

teacher also commented that:

“…………..the culture in my school makes it very easy for conflicts to be

managed since it is less formal and flexible in nature.”

Contrast to the first quotation on culture above, the immediate quotation above

implied that the values, norms and practices of an organization could help to promote

conflict management in the organization. This notion is in line with the theological

assertion made by Rahim et, al. (1992).

Another issue that interviewees identified as a factor that influenced conflict

management in basic schools was time and venue. A considerable number of

teachers commented that:

56
 “…….desirable results of conflict management might not be achieved if a

suitable time and venue is not chosen to address the conflict. And also, trying

to manage conflicts when tempers of both parties are still very high, is

considered as wrong timing………..”

The quotation above points to the fact that the time and venue for managing conflict

is also associated with conflict management. It implied that some periods could be

considered as wrong timing while other periods are considered as more appropriate

when it comes to managing conflicts.

In addition to organizational culture and time and venue, interviewees also attributed

conflict management to leadership styles. Leadership style was seen as an important

factor by some of the respondents. Some respondents commented that the leadership

style practiced by the leaders of institutions may sometimes make it very difficult to

manage conflicts. For instance, a male teacher asserted that:

“…… a leader may be so paternalistic or democratic such that he is able to

play the role of a mediator effectively in managing the problem and also

encourage the parties to open up. In the same way, some of the leaders may

be so strict and autocratic such that it discourages the parties from opening

up.”

The quotation above is consistent with the theoretical assertion made by Rahim et, al.

(1992). The assertion stated that the leadership style adapted by leaders in any given

institution may go a long way to influence the management of conflict in the

institution.

57
Apart from organizational culture, leadership style, time and venue, organizational

policies and procedures were also identified by the interviewees as one of the factors

that influence conflict management in organizations. It was clear from the responses

gathered from the interviews that the policies and procedures of organizations play

important role in conflict management in basic schools. For instance, a male teacher

made an assertion that:

“……. The policies and procedures in institution may hinders effective

management of conflict through the creation of a kind of tension and

formality among employees”

The diagram shown in Fig. 4.2 indicates the factors that influence conflict

management in organizations. From Fig. 4.2, it could be seen clearly that conflict

management in schools is influenced by a number of factors that could be classified

similar to the conceptual frame work developed for this study. These factors were,

time and venue, organizational culture, organizational structure, organizational

policies and leadership style.

58
 Factors influencing Conflict Management

Time and Venue Leadership Style

Democracy Autocracy

Organizational Organizational Organizational

Policies and Procedures Culture Structure

Leave Bonus Beliefs Norms Values

Policy Pension Policy Departments

Policy

Teaching Non-Teaching

Fig. 4.2Factors influencing Conflict Management

Source: Field Survey (2014)

All the factors analyzed above influence conflict management practices in one way

or the other. But the major factor that influences conflict management practice as

noted by the interviewees was the culture of the educational institution.

4.5 Challenges in Managing Conflicts

The respondents were asked to identify some of the challenges encountered in

managing conflicts. They identified the lack of cooperation as one of the challenges.

It was visible from the responses gathered by the interviewees that cooperation on

the part of the parties involved in the conflict was very essential for the successful

59
management of conflicts in educational institutions. The interview noted that a

greater percentage of the targeted population considered lack of cooperation as the

commonest challenge encountered in managing conflict in basic schools. A

considerable number of the respondents commented that, the parties involved in the

conflict may not be willing to let go of the issue and this could make it very difficult

to manage such issues. Some of the teachers shared their personal experiences on

this. For example,

A female teacher commented:

“………..to cooperate is like letting the cat loose which I may not be willing

to do depending on what I think about the situation.”

The quotation above brings to bear the notion that, the cooperation of the parties

involved in any conflict situation is always vital in the management of conflicts. This

implied that parties involved in conflicts are required to open up and be ready to

make peace. This assertion was consistent with the theoretical argument made by

Putman and Poole (1987) that, lack of cooperation was considered the most pressing

challenge among all other challenges encountered in managing conflicts in

organizations. However, Van De Vliert and Kabanoff (1990) expressed strong

inconsistencies with this theoretical argument.

Another challenge interviewees identified was lack of professional skills in handling

conflict situations. It was evident from the interviews conducted that some level of

professionalism and skills were required to manage conflicts effectively. This

60
implied that some level of training would be needed in order to equip leaders and

mangers of educational institutions to effectively manage conflict situations in their

schools. Some teachers expressed their views on this statement. For example,

According to one female teacher:

“Conflict management is a technical activity and it requires some

technicalities. Managing conflict is not as easy as it may seem; it requires a

great deal of skills……..”

The quotation above made by a respondent clearly affirms the notion that skills and

professionalism is crucial in managing conflicts. This is consistent with the argument

made by Mason and Mayer (1990).The interviews further pointed out that if leaders

lack the right skills to manage conflicts, they may end up worsening the problem.

Some teachers expressed their views. For instance,

According to a male teacher:

“………….in my institution, the need to manage conflict effectively has led to

the development of certain programs which aim at educating employees to

deal with individual differences among themselves and diversity of opinions.”

In addition to lack of cooperation and professional skills, interviewees also

considered conflict management as being time demanding. Implementing a particular

conflict management style may demand a lot of time such that the institution in their

attempt to manage conflicts may compromise their productive hours. This was

61
consistent with the theoretical argument made by Sportsman and Hamilton (2007).

Also, a male teacher gave his comment on this statement:

“…………sometimes, impromptu meetings are organized in attempt to deal

with certain conflict situations and this has had devastating effects on the

institution at the long run.”

The quotation above clearly implies that the entire conflict management styles and

process could contribute to low productivity to some extent. The Fig. 4.3 illustrates

the challenges encountered in managing conflicts.

Challenges in Managing Conflict

Fig. 4.3 Some Challenges in Managing Conflict

Source: Field Survey, (2014)

Lack of professional skills, time consumption and lack of cooperation are all

challenges that could be encountered in managing conflict. But from the responses

gathered from the interviews, lack of cooperation between the parties was considered

by interviewees as the most common and pressing challenge encountered in

managing conflict. However, in spite of the difficulties encountered in managing

conflict, the roles of conflict management cannot be underestimated.

62
4.6 Roles of Conflict Management in Institutional Growth

The interviewees were asked to identify the various roles conflict management play

in institutional growth. They came up with enhancement of organizational learning

as one of the roles. It was evident from the responses of the interviewees that conflict

management greatly enhances organizational learning. The interview pointed out

that, as conflicts occur and they are managed, the workers acquire new knowledge

and experiences. This is consistent with the argument made by Kantek and Gezer

(2009) that, conflict management helps individuals to acquire new experiences in

dealing with problem. A respondent also commented that:

“Even the entire conflict management process gives room for the acquisition

of new skills and knowledge in dealing with diverse issues.”

Another role of conflict management that was identified by the interviewees was the

enhancement of organizational growth. The interviewees‟ responses pointed out that

conflict management play important role in growing educational institutions. Also,

the interviews pointed out that, when there is conflict in organizations, it brings about

some kind of competition among the workers and this competition when properly

managed could lead to greater output because the workers are challenged to put up

their best. According to Trudel and Reio (2011), when competitions arises among

employees as a result of conflict, appropriate conflict management style needs to be

adopted. Most interviewees expressed consistency with this theoretical argument by

this author. Some of the interviewees commented that:

“Managing conflict helps to promote competition among workers thereby,

encouraging employees to put up their best………...Also, general output of

63
 the institution will be improved if conflicts are well managed because

employees will have sound minds to work to increase productivity.”

The quotation above clearly points out to the notion that, good management of

conflict could bring about higher productivity leading to organizational growth. The

quotation further points out that some level of competition is always necessary for

the achievement of organizational growth. However, when such competitions are not

managed properly, they could lead to hostility and bitterness leading to low

productivity. This was consistent with the theoretical argument made by Gordon

(2003).

Another issue interviewees identified as a role played by conflict management was

strengthening of the bond between employees and management in basic schools. The

responses gathered from the interviews disclosed that conflict management was

essential to the achievement of stronger bonds among employees in any given

organization. This notion was consistent with the comment made by a male teacher

that:

“………..when conflicts are properly managed in the institution, it

strengthens the bond that exists among the people in the institution in

general, because some level of cordiality is established.”

The quotation given by the above respondent pointed out to the view that, stronger

bonds could be attained through conflict management creating cordiality among

employees. This was consistent with the view expressed by Kolb and Putman (1992)

64
that conflict management generates cordiality and unity. Also, Cox (2003) asserted

that managing conflict strengthens the interpersonal relationships among groups.

In addition to enhancement of organizational growth and learning and strengthening

of the bond among employees, interviewees also considered maximization of

constructive aspect of conflict as a vital role played by conflict management. The

interviews conducted disclosed that conflict had both its constructive and destructive

aspect. Therefore, in order to achieve the maximum out of every conflict situation,

the conflict needs to be managed by adopting appropriate conflict management

styles. An interviewee commented that:

“……..I believe every conflict comes along with some positive aspects. The

task for our various schools is to identify these positive aspects of conflict and

capitalize on them through good conflict management techniques. This will

help our educational institutions to progress more rapidly”

Conflict management could enable basic schools to achieve the best out of every

conflict situation as noted by the quotation above. This implied that, when conflicts

are not managed with the appropriate mechanisms, the constructive aspect of the

conflict may not be achieved. Almost (2006) showed consistency with this

theoretical argument when she maintained that, conflict management plays the role

of ensuring that the negative impact of conflict is minimized while the positive

impact is maximized. The diagram below illustrates the roles played by conflict

management as suggested by the interviewees. From the responses gathered, the

respondents identified four main roles of conflict management in institutional

growth. They were, maximization of constructive conflict, enhancing institutional

65
effectiveness, enhancing institutional learning and strengthening of the bond between

management and employees.

Fig. 4.4 Roles of Conflict Management

Source: Field Survey, (2014)

4.7 Conclusion

In this chapter, the researcher found out that the most adapted conflict management

style was integrating style and the least adapted style was the dominating style. Also,

the researcher observed that the most influencing factor in managing conflict was

organizational culture. Furthermore, the lack of professional skills was considered

one of the major challenges in managing conflict. The roles played by conflict

management in the growth of the organization included, enhancing organizational

learning through the acquisition of new experiences. Organizational learning is also

attained as well as the strengthening of bond between employees and management.

Conflict management also ensures the constructive aspect of conflict is attained.

66
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

This chapter of the study presents the summary of findings, conclusion and

recommendations of the entire study. The chapter highlights the findings in line with

the research questions and objectives. It also gives recommendations to help

managers of educational institution manage conflict effectively.

5.1Summary of Major Findings

The study adopted a qualitative research approach comprising of a series of semi-

structured interviews. The major findings under this section are the key issues that

have been identified from data analyzed. The summary of findings that were found

from the analysis have been presented under the specific objectives of the study.

5.1.1 Conflict Management Practices in Basic Schools

Among the different conflict management styles practiced in basic schools, the

researcher found out that majority of basic schools in the Ashanti Region usually

adapt the integrating style of managing conflict while only a few basic schools

adapted the dominating style. The compromising style was the next most preferred

style after the integrating style. It was then closely followed by the obliging style and

then the avoiding style with the dominating style being the least preferred. The

results of the findings further revealed that most basic schools frown on the

dominating style because majority of the respondents considered this style as being

67
too selfish in nature and respondents also claimed it does not usually lead to a

peaceful management of the conflict but rather, breeds bitterness and hatred between

the parties involved.

5.1.2 Factors influencing Conflict Management

The research findings revealed that, of all the factors influencing conflict

management, organizational culture stood out as the most influencing factor. This

was closely followed by time and venue. The least influencing factor according to

the findings was organizational policies and procedures. Most of the teachers

considered organizational culture as the most pressing influence because they

believed the kind of culture and relationships within the institution greatly affects the

style of conflict management to be used. The teachers also considered the time and

venue as another important factor after institutional culture. This was due to the fact

that the time and venue, depending on its appropriateness, could either make the

management of conflict a success or a failure. Also, a considerable number of

teachers also considered leadership style as an important influencing factor.

5.1.3 Challenges encountered in Managing Conflicts

From this study conducted, several conflict management challenges were identified

by interviewees. Some of them were lack of professional skills in handling conflict,

lack of cooperation and time demanding. Of all these challenges identified, lack of

cooperation was considered to be the most prominent followed by lack of

professional skills on the part of the leader. A greater number of the teachers

interviewed established that lack of cooperation is the major challenge in managing

68
conflict because cooperation on the party of the parties is always needed for a

successful management of conflict. They also established that without some level of

professionalism, managing conflict may become a very difficult task for heads of

educational institutions.

5.1.4 Roles of Conflict Management in Institutional Growth

The findings gathered by the researcher revealed that conflict management plays

vital roles in the growth of educational institutions. Some of these roles given by the

respondents included; enhancing institutional learning, strengthening the bond

between management and the workers and also, maximizing constructive conflict in

the institution. The teachers established that managing conflict helps managers to

improve upon the institutional learning and also ensure a more cordial relationship

between the management and workers. The interviewees further established that

through conflict management, the positive aspect of conflict could be achieved

effectively.

5.2 Conclusion

The study assessed conflict management in basic schools in the Ashanti Region of

Ghana. It basically focused on areas like the factors influencing conflict

management, the different conflict management styles, the challenges in managing

conflict and the role played by conflict management in institutional growth. The

study concluded that the most influencing factor in ensuring effective management of

conflict is the culture of the organization or institution and the most commonly

adopted conflict management style is the integrating style. The findings gathered

69
therefore support the point that, for conflict to be managed effectively within

educational institutions, there may be the need to alter the culture of the institution.

Moreover, the study also concluded that the major challenge encountered in

managing conflict is lack of cooperation from the parties involved. For further

studies, more research could be done on the basic principles in managing conflicts in

organizations.

5.3 Recommendations

The following recommendations were aimed at overcoming the difficulties

associated with the management of conflicts in educational institutions in Ashanti

Region of Ghana precisely in the Bosome Freho District.

5.3.1 Training Programs

The research revealed that some of the teachers did not have adequate knowledge in

managing conflict. The management of educational institutions could therefore

organize workshops for the teachers to enlighten them on the concept of conflict

management. This would broaden their understanding on the need to manage conflict

and the right approaches to managing them. Also, through the workshops, the

teachers would learn to appreciate the need to manage conflict both in and out of the

work place.

5.3.2 Education on Conflict Management

The findings of this study revealed that managing conflict may require some basic

skills which without them managing of conflict may be ineffective. Teachers in

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educational institutions could therefore be given special education on the appropriate

ways of managing conflict through the organization of internal meetings and

seminars. Through workshops, the workers could be educated to acquire good

listening skill which is essential in conflict management. The workers could further

be educated to accommodate each other‟s behaviors and differences.

5.3.3 Flexibility of Organizational Structure

The findings indicated that the organizational structure could influence the effective

management of conflict. The structure of the institution could therefore be made

flexible enough to ensure effective management of conflicts. Some of the structures

of some organizations are so rigid that they do not give room for effective handling

of conflicts. Certain situations may require modification of the existing

organizational structure to suit the conflict management style to be adopted.

5.3.4 Flexibility of Organizational Culture

The research findings revealed that the culture of the organization could influence

the management of conflict. The culture of the institution could therefore be

developed in such a way that it exhibits some form of flexibility and dynamism.

Sometimes, the kind of culture practiced within the institution may go a long way to

impede effective management of conflicts. Therefore, the culture of the institution

should be adjusted in a way that would favor the effective management of conflict

such as encouraging some level of openness and cordiality among the workers.

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5.3.5 Leadership Style

The research findings further revealed that the style of leadership has an influence on

conflict management. It was recommended that managers could vary their leadership

approaches based on the problem they would be dealing with. Managers may be

required in certain situations to adopt a more paternalistic and democratic leadership

style when dealing with sensitive issues. On the other hand, an autocratic style may

also be recommended in dealing with certain situations.

5.3.6 Time and Venue

It was recommended that managers should pay particular attention to the time and

venue when managing conflicts since the research findings revealed that time and

venue influence conflict management. The time chosen for managing the conflict

may either lead to an expected outcome or worsen the situation. It would therefore be

appropriate if managers could deal with conflicts when tempers are down.

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 APPENDIX

INTERVIEW GUIDE ON CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

KNUST School of Business, Kumasi, Ghana

Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA)

Project Topic: Conflict ManagementPractices in Selected Basic Schools in the

Ashanti Region

Date: June, 2014.

1. What is your age?

2. For how long have you been working in your institution?

3. What is your educational qualification?

4. How often do you experience conflicts in your institution?

5. Which parties are usually involved in the conflicts?

6. Are these conflicts easily resolved?

7. Does conflict have any positive impact on institutional performance?

8. If yes, what are some of them?

9. What motivates you to manage these conflicts?

10. Which initiative do you take to manage these conflicts?

11. Do you face any challenges in trying to manage the conflicts?

12. If yes, what are some of these challenges?

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13. What do you think can be done to overcome these challenges?

14. Which factors influence conflict management in your institution?

15. Does conflict management have any positive impact on overall performance of

the institution?

16. If yes, what are some of them?

17. Which conflict management style would you recommend for heads of

educational institutions?

18. Why would you recommend this style of managing conflict?

19. Any other comment?

Thank You.

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